Environment Minister meets UNEP chief in Nairobi

Thursday، 14 March 2019 - 11:53 AM

Minister of Environment Yasmin Fouad stressed on Wednesday 13/3/2019 on the need to support an Egyptian initiative to link three major UN conventions on environment.

The conventions are the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Fouad gave her remarks during a meeting with Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen on the fringe of their participation in the 4th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) in Nairobi, Kenya.

In a statement released by the ministry on Wednesday, Fouad highlighted the different attitude recently adopted by many nations towards the environment file, now that it has undeniably become of a critical importance to achieve true sustainable development.

Calling upon the UN official to provide the necessary funding to implement the Egyptian initiative, Fouad shed the light on her ministry's plan to simplify the concepts used for familiarizing laypersons and children with the issue of biodiversity.

She also emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Egyptian government and the UNEP to support Egypt's policies on biodiversity.

For her part, Andersen stressed UNEP's firm support for the Egyptian initiative, adding the program is willing to provide all the funding necessary to make it a reality.

The initiative was first launched by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi during the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 14) Egypt hosted in November 218 in Sharm El Sheikh.